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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1Fanstereo Reveals How To Combine High Fidelity, Stylish Design and Musician’s Input For Great Headphoneshttp://entertainmenttoday.net/news/18467/2018/04/fanstereo-reveals-how-to-combine-high-fidelity-stylish-design-and-musicians-input-for-great-headphones/
http://entertainmenttoday.net/news/18467/2018/04/fanstereo-reveals-how-to-combine-high-fidelity-stylish-design-and-musicians-input-for-great-headphones/#respondTue, 03 Apr 2018 00:10:18 +0000http://entertainmenttoday.net/?p=18467Various headphone companies have explored relationships with musicians, bringing varying degrees of credibility to the project. The folks behind Beats headphones leveraged musician involvement to a success far outweighing the product’s sonic quality. Fanstereo is a headphone company that puts quality sound at the forefront, and its recently introduced Studio43 headphones were designed with input from Ayo and Teo. The pair from Michigan has a hit with “Rolex,” which has been one of the top 20 downloaded songs on iTunes, peaked at #20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and has in excess of 350 million views on YouTube.

I was able to ask Jay Leopardi, the founder of Fanstereo, a handful of questions that illustrate the strategy he pursued in creating the Studio43.

The headphones are on-ear in design, and feature passive isolation noise cancellation, which is made up of specific foams and felts, as well as the shape of their design to block out any noise. This design strategy has always been used by professional producers, DJs, artists, etc. The passive isolation method is truly blocking out the background noise, not just cancelling it. (Active noise cancellation generally deploys either a very high or very low frequency to trick the ears and to drown out any background noise).

Studio43

Leopardi states that Fanstereo’s passive isolation allows you to hear music more clearly, the way it was meant to be heard, and is a component of the company’s proprietary HPA technology (high precision audio).

The Studio43s are indeed very comfortable, the fine camel leathers used for the ear cups are smooth and well designed. Weight is always an issue with headphones, as magnets and technology present a constant tradeoff. The Studio43s provide a good balance in that regard, proving to be both light in weight but rich in sound. They are completely Bluetooth, and have a built-in microphone so you can take calls while in the midst of listening to music. The sound is transparent, with clean highs and solid bass.

Auerbach: What prompted you to hook up with Ayo and Teo?

Leopardi: I come from the music world and I started as a musician and producer myself. I know talent when I see it, and with the capsule collections in mind, I saw these kids and said first they have talent, and second I like the market they’re going after. They’re a hybrid group, not just hip-hop kids. They have a very melodic style and are very into dancing. I was a break-dancer back in the day, and it’s really cool to see Ayo and Teo bringing that kind of style back, a new style of music, as they go into a market that no one’s ever gone into.

Auerbach: What level of collaboration did your company have with the pair?

Leopardi: Going off of what’s explained above, I decided to partner with Ayo and Teo because I felt a personal connection to them. Ayo and Teo were very involved in the project and have been great to work with.

Auerbach: Will this business model be considered more as a licensing deal or a partnership?

Leopardi: They are partnerships. If an artist comes to me and expresses that they want to do a deal with us and want their own line, I’ll give them a licensing deal because, in some cases we’re not dealing with an artist, were dealing with a licensing company. The company reaches out to us directly and wants to do a deal with us and one of their artists. If a label feels they have an up and coming artist we get together and break the artist into the industry together. When an artist is going to pop [in the marketplace], each celebrity capsule collection becomes its own business.

Auerbach: What are some of the unique aspects of the Studio43 that make it stand out in the marketplace?

Leopardi: First of all, their price [$140] is unbeatable compared to other similar models of headphones on the market. The Artificial Intelligence feature allows users to use voice commands to answer phone calls, texts and manage their phones, making them designed for hands-free convenience and ease. This technology hasn’t been used in headphones before – just as if you were to speak to a voice activated speaker, like Alexa, you can literally speak to the Studio43s when you have an incoming call or text, and tell them how you want to respond. If you don’t want to answer a call you can say “Ignore” or you can verbalize what you want to write in you text message to someone. Everything is made with premium leathers imprinted with our logos, designed to give a stylish look but also comfort. Overall, I think our business model with our celebrity capsule collection is what makes us stand out the most from other headphone companies in the game.

Auerbach: Neil Young famously said that when he sees people on the street with standard issue earbuds, he wants to yank them out and tell them they deserve better. How does a company like yours get people to move away from the earbuds that ship with portable devices?

Leopardi: What make our earbuds (called Eirs) stand out are their 12 different ear bud styles making sure each user can wear something that fits their own ears perfectly. Additionally, the shape and materials of the ear buds provide sound isolation for all listeners, making these perfect for drowning-out outside noises. The speed and strength of the Bluetooth connection for these, as well as all of our products can’t be beat. Never worry about misplacing your “eirs” either because we made our faceplates magnetic, so you can easily wear them on your neck or connect them to other magnetic devices.

]]>http://entertainmenttoday.net/news/18467/2018/04/fanstereo-reveals-how-to-combine-high-fidelity-stylish-design-and-musicians-input-for-great-headphones/feed/0Santa’s 2016 List for Mrs. Claus – Best Gifts for the Seasonhttp://entertainmenttoday.net/nocat/17825/2016/12/santas-2016-list-for-mrs-claus-best-gifts-for-the-season/
http://entertainmenttoday.net/nocat/17825/2016/12/santas-2016-list-for-mrs-claus-best-gifts-for-the-season/#respondFri, 09 Dec 2016 07:08:42 +0000http://entertainmenttoday.net/?p=17825As Santa prepares his lists, the most important one is for Mrs. Claus. Here is what it looks like. Santa has taken special care to prepare a mix of items that appeal to his better half’s desire to look good, feel good and be happy.

Silk Radiance 3-In-1 Cleansing Oil – Epicuren Discovery

Fortunately for Santa, his elves can make almost anything. But with Epicuren’s customized products, Santa visits one of the finer salons to get this three phase luxury cleansing product. Mrs. Claus will marvel at how the product transitions from rich gel, to aromatic oil, to delicate milky cleanser. The dryness of winter almost everywhere is kept at bay with the moisturizing emollients. www.epicuren.com

Rowkin Bit Charge Stereo

Santa got Mrs. Claus an iPhone 7 for her birthday, but like many folks Mrs. Claus is wondering how to handle the wireless headphone conundrum. Santa has an earlier generation iPhone, but he likes working on his sleigh without headphone cords getting in the way. The solution is the Rowkin, the smallest stereo Bluetooth earbuds on the market. Indeed, sales of Rowkins doubled back when the iPhone 7 was announced. With voice command capabilities (not that Mrs. Claus is overly demanding), the Rowkin units integrate with Siri, Google Now and Cortana to provide a true wireless, hands-free experience. The Bluetooth 4.1 technology allows Santa to wander up to 25 feet from the iPhone docking station in his sleigh, handy for making Christmas Eve deliveries. A tastefully designed portable magnetic charger provides over a dozen charges, with each earbud getting a consequent 3 hours of playing time. That is plenty of time for even the longest shopping excursion by Mrs. Claus. Santa appreciates the WaterSafe nano coating technology when he is chasing Rudolph, because the earbuds are sweatproof, water resistant, and IPX5 waterproof. At half the size of the delayed AirPods, the Rowkins come in Space Gray, Silver, and 24K Gold Edition. Mrs. Claus likes gold, as Santa has learned over the years. www.rowkin.com

Helix Cuff – Ashley Chloe Inc.

Mrs. Claus has been concerned about Apple’s delay on their wireless headphones, and their removal of the headphone jack on the latest iPhone. The clever designers at Ashley Chloe have integrated fashion and tech with the Helix Cuff. Mrs. Claus can wear the bracelet and when the elves’ racket gets too noisy, she can unclip the integrated Bluetooth earbuds and check out the Planet Money podcast, or the Beach Boys’ classic Christmas album. More importantly, when she wants to beckon me or Siri, the Helix Cuff responds to voice commands. Eliminating the tangle of earphones is something Mrs. Claus appreciates www.ashleychloe.com

Vacu Vin Wine Saver Concerto

Santa and Mrs. Claus often prefer a glass of wine after a long day with the elves, but sometimes the bottle is not empty. Santa’s solution is to give Mrs. Claus a Vacu Vin Wine Saver Concerto in her stocking. Of the many wine preservation systems in the market, this is one of the originals. By creating an airtight seal after removing the air from the bottle, Santa is going to see if indeed the wine will last two weeks. Given that Santa’s in-laws are scheduled to pay a visit, it is unlikely that the bottles will remain partially full for very long. After being developed by his Dutch elves, Santa has been delivering this product for years (to over 35 million households). Available on Amazon.

Rejuvaderm Trophy Skin

Mrs. Claus is clearly the ultimate trophy wife, so this is a perfect gift. Even though we actually don’t spend all our weeks at the North Pole in the dry cold air, Mrs. Claus is still concerned that she doesn’t look her vibrant self on the day we were married all those centuries ago. She will soon be enjoying smoother, softer, more radiant skin with this portable microdermabrasion device. The handy, lightweight and portable design utilizes a high tech combo of diamond exfoliation and gentle suction to buff away dead skin cells, revealing the radiant, glowing skin that sits just below the surface. Santa may need to borrow this unit, I am the one facing all that icy night air and boy is my face in need of attention when I get back. I sometimes wonder how I do it all. https://trophyskin.com/products/rejuvadermmd

Polaroid ZIP Instant Photoprinter

Santa and Mrs. Claus like talking selfies as much as anyone. And we often enjoy candid shots of the elves, beavering away at their chores. But we are sufficiently old school, and a tactile version of the photo is special. But how to get the printable photos off the smartphone and into print? There are various services and apps that can get you there, but what if the elves developed a pocket-sized printer to do the job? Well, the clever folks at Polaroid have done so. At less than half a pound, this handy gadget prints in less than a minute. It pairs instantly with any mobile device, but we prefer using the app so that we can edit and then print full color 2″ x 3″ photos. Much like the growing interest in vinyl records, some vestiges of the past are worth revisiting. The magic of Polaroid’s instant photos from yesteryear are new again. www.polaroid.com

A History of Pictures: From the Cave to the Computer Screen, by David Hockney and Martin Gayford

And speaking of pictures, Mr. and Mrs. Claus have always been lovers of art, and over all the years we have seen the progression of how artists represent the three dimensional world on a two dimensional surface. Hockney, one of the pre-eminent artists of our era, has worked across nearly every medium and pushed the edge of the envelope wherever he cast his inquisitive eye. His fellow Brit and prior collaborator Gayford have produced a lovely book that explores all corners of film, photographer, painting, printmaking and drawing. The juxtaposition of images is the remarkable means by which the authors prove their myriad points. The only downside to this massive book is that Santa will need to do a few extra pushups before he makes his midnight run. www.abramsbooks.com

Rhone Fuse Seamless and GoldFusion

Santa has found that some of his traditional undergarments are getting a bit ratty, and Mrs. Claus noticed. I asked the elves for suggestions, but they admitted yet another product they could not create. I turned to the folks at Rhone, and I find Mrs. Claus occasionally borrowing my undershirt. By blending high technology with the most premium of materials, the clever elves at Rhone have produced some amazingly comfortable products. They have stepped up their game with the recent launch of the GoldFusion line, which is a revolutionary new technology that infuses gold particles into their best fabrics. The result is a softer, safer, faster-drying, longer-lasting, odor-neutralizing activewear garment. I am presently limbering up for my big day toward the end of the month, and the Rhone apparel certainly helps. www.rhone.com

Holden Cumulus Down Jacket

Although some call Santa timeless, he is obviously not averse to adopting modern technology. This list proves it. The final item proves that I need no longer pile up layers upon layers of winterwear as I carry out my appointed rounds. The designers at Holden have been at work for over a dozen years creating fashionable technical garments that function in the harshest mountain environments but also look great around town. Mrs. Claus has been eyeing the Cumulus Down jacket that I have been wearing, and I am putting one for her under our tree. The lightweight ripstop is water repellent and has a soft hand. The attention to detail (like packable into interior pocket, 3-way hood adjustment, genuine leather details) is impressive and stylish. We’ll enjoy some egg nog after being toasty warm caroling the elves in our matching Cumulus Down jackets. www.holdenouterwear.com

At Red Carpet events in Hollywood, watching celebrities grab the spotlight is fun. You can spot trends and take note of the latest must-haves thanks to these over-the-top occasions. Recently the Bravo Channel brought viewers an irreverent night of celebrating fashion, design, beauty and pop culture with its second annual A-List Awards.

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“A-List” Red Carpet & Gift LoungeCelebrities and trendy gifts all part of the “A-List Awards”

At Red Carpet events in Hollywood, watching celebrities grab the spotlight is fun. You can spot trends and take note of the latest must-haves thanks to these over-the-top occasions.

Recently the Bravo Channel brought viewers an irreverent night of celebrating fashion, design, beauty and pop culture with its second annual A-List Awards.

It was hosted by Kathy Griffin, the star of the comedy-reality series My Life on the D-List, who made sure her über-A-List friend Paris Hilton was on hand to add extra luster to the event. Paris was with boyfriend Doug Reinhardt and denying wedding rumors with her usual sly smile.

Plus there were special appearances by Gwen Stefani, Sandra Bullock and Justin Timberlake during the show.

But it was backstage in the Distinctive Assets Gift Lounge where the latest trends were really being showcased and marketed to Hollywood’s elite.

It was Tyson Beckford, the Ralph Lauren model who hosts Bravo’s Make Me a Supermodel, who noticed and made a fuss over the fabulous DAV boots on the red carpet. And other celebrities got excited over DAV’s “high fashion for wet days.” The stylish rain apparel and accessories were showcased in the lounge.

Style queen Tila Tequila, who was named best Drama Queen at last year’s A-List Awards, got very dramatic over the “buttery-soft” designer jeans in vibrant colors from Denimocracy. And, of course the vintage rock concert tee-shirts from Wornfree.com were a big hit. Sunglasses from Rooly made everyone look like a star.

Bedol What’s Next, a unique shop in Claremont, California, was represented, getting raves from folks who loved their new eco-friendly water powered clock. Yes, a real clock that runs on water!

Spa services from the Skin Rejuvenation Center in Beverly Hills are part of the pampered stars’ lifestyle, and Janet Harris was there to talk about it. Harris is the renowned aesthetician and creator of skincare products. She also helped Dr. Phil’s wife Robin McGraw with the self-help book “What’s Age Got to Do With It? 55, Living Your Happiest & Healthiest Life.” An expert in her field, Harris says, “Everyone wants to look their A-List best.”

Lash Fary, the founder of Distinctive Assets, was there showing off the Slimware designer “portion conscious” dinner plates that he created. A very clever idea from a really great guy.

Fary has a stellar reputation around town. He made a name for himself after establishing Distinctive Assets in 1999. Always a hit at shows like the Grammys, American Music and Kids Choice Awards, he has been credited for launching the craze of over-the-top celebrity swag at high profile events.

He’s so nice, he sends out gift bags for Mother’s Day, and to the Oscar and Emmy nominated performers who don’t win the big awards. What a guy!

He not only produces the gift bags and talent lounges for many major award shows, but also provides product introduction and placement, plus branding opportunities within the entertainment industry and beyond.

The founder of Distinctive Assets says he’s “thrilled to pamper pop culture’s best and brightest.”

The 2009 MTV Movie Awards showed that hot-blooded Hollywood, and all the fans who voted, were over the moon for Twilight. The Gothic romance vampire saga won Best Movie, also Favorite Male Breakthrough Performance for Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson, and Female Performance for his leading lady Kristen Stewart. The sizzling duo also got the Best Kiss award. And the cinematic battle between Pattinson and Cam Gigandet was deemed the Favorite Fight scene.

The 2009 MTV Movie Awards showed that hot-blooded Hollywood, and all the fans who voted, were over the moon for Twilight.

The Gothic romance vampire saga won Best Movie, also Favorite Male Breakthrough Performance for Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson, and Female Performance for his leading lady Kristen Stewart. The sizzling duo also got the Best Kiss award. And the cinematic battle between Pattinson and Cam Gigandet was deemed the Favorite Fight scene.

What’s the truth about a real-life Pattinson and Stewart hook-up? No way, according to Stewart’s on-screen dad, Billy Burke who was looking super-cool at the GBK Beach Chic Pool Party in Hollywood. It was a pre-awards celebration for celebrities who just wanted to hang out and have fun.

Burke plays the small town cop and emotionally-distant dad to Bella (Stewart), and will be back in the highly anticipate sequel The Twilight Saga: New Moon. And fans can look forward to next year’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Plus the sugar-daddy has more upcoming movies, Baby O and Ticket Out.

The smoldering six-foot Burke stood out as he strolled around the fabulous GBK gift lounge and ran into his host Gavin B. Keilly, another handsome fellow who has honed the craft of creating luxurious celebrations.

Speaking of vampires, the sweet young girls from the CW’s new fall series Vampire Diaries were at the party. Kayla Ewell, Nina Dobrev, Candice Accola and Katerina Graham will be fresh blood for the genre. The gals were going for fresh meat at the poolside BBQ, eating big juicy burgers and hot dogs, while enjoying DJ Casey Connor and recording artist Samantha Mollen’s awesome performance.

Yes, comfort food is back, even for the skinny little starlets. So all enjoyed getting VIP cards from Johnny Rockets, the yummy retro diner chain that’s ultra-popular in Hollywood.

Among the trend-setting celebrities who were at the GBK’s Pool Party was everyone’s favorite American Idol rocker chick Allison Iraheta. The 17-year-old Idol finalist was sharing the day with her mom and both loved every VIP moment at their first gift lounge bash.

Allison was a sweetheart with all the gifting sponsors. Her trademark maroon-splashed hair was just the perfect compliment for the casual Faded Fool shirt she picked up. But for dressier occasions, she went wild for the sophisticated contemporary silver jewelry by Tara Moor Paris, whose designs were seen on the biggest stars on the red carpet at the Cannes Festival in France.

She made friends with the cowboy who represented the Keyah Grande Resort in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. “I’ve ridden a horse,” she noted, so she just may make it up to the luxury ranch. Next up for Allison is the American Idol concert tour, and she’s preparing for an album.

Babyface singer Aaron Carter also enjoyed the GBK day, along with Weeds young star Alexander Gould. Also having fun was Carlos Ramirez, upcoming in the film Speed-Dating.

Shayne Lamas, the General Hospital actress who got the final rose on The Bachelor a few seasons back, is single now. But Alimi Ballard, star CBS series Numb3rs (he really deserves an Emmy nod this year), was there with his lovely actress wife Dior Raye. Girls Next Door’s Bridget Marquardt was with boyfriend director Nick Carpenter. More celebs came in and out throughout the GBK party that lasted two days, leading up to the MTV Movie Awards.

It was fun but cloudy both days, made brighter by the wonderful GBK gift bags. Upon arrival Volkswagen escorted VIP guests to the party in a brand new four door luxury coupe, the CC.

Onsite, famed artist Todd Goldman of Pop Factory was displaying his work, as did the folks at Bluefin Surfbars, the makers of custom surfboard tables. They also offered a free surf lesson. Lalo Fitness offered a DVD and free training session.

Cocktails were served by Ocean Bar Service. A healthy and delicious wheatgrass bar was set up by Gotwheatgrass.com. NitroCream’s custom made ice cream and gelato, was prepared on their unique Liquid Nitrogen machine right in front of the stars.

Dr. Brecka Bags (www.drbreckabags.com), handmade leather and cowhide modern briefcases and women’s sleek leather clutch purses, were presented, and it looked like the designs will become the next big “wow” on the runways. Meggie Jewelry had fabulous handmade California jewelry.

RevitaLash was gifting eyelash conditioner that lengthen and thickens eye lashes, as well as their new hair product called Hair by RevitaLash, a conditioner that gives you thicker and fuller hair.

Other hot items: Cool Three (www.coolthree.com) bags and accessories for inner-rockers of all ages; Mobigrip, which is called “a safety belt for high tech toys.” Veneman collections provided a tremendous discount from their entire inventory of furniture.

GBK is a luxury lifestyle gifting and special events company, specializing in entertainment marketing integration. Gavin B. Keilly is the CEO of the company he formed in 2000.

Widely known in the entertainment industry for “bringing that little extra something into the gifting lounge environment,” they certainly lived up to their reputation at the GBK Vintage Beach Chic Pool Party, BBQ and Gift Lounge!

Let’s get some holiday shopping ideas from celebrities with style and class, and save some cash for Santa’s budget. It’s no surprise to see teen beauty Selena Gomez at media events sporting the fabulous looking styles from American Eagle. The popular star from the Disney Channel’s hit series The Wizards of Waverly Place has been spotted shopping at the American Eagle store in New York City

Let’s get some holiday shopping ideas from celebrities with style and class, and save some cash for Santa’s budget.

It’s no surprise to see teen beauty Selena Gomez at media events sporting the fabulous looking styles from American Eagle. The popular star from the Disney Channel’s hit series The Wizards of Waverly Place has been spotted shopping at the American Eagle store in New York City.

The comfortable apparel line fits the lifestyle and image of trendy young Hollywood stars like Selena. Her favorite item seems to be the American Eagle classic white cotton crew neck tee, which is a must-have for any wardrobe. It’s a practical gift that will be appreciated, and not expensive.

For much younger fashionistas there’s the 77kids line of clothes from American Eagle Kids Clothing. And they have a wonderful collection that is popular for holiday shoppers, with seven pieces from 77kids for under $77 on 77kids.com. The styles are wonderful, super-cool, and age appropriate too.

Now the Minnie Rose’s fashions got a big boost when pop princess Britney Spears was photographed by the paparazzi with her Minnie Rose White Cashmere Ruffled Shawl. She seemed to be using it as a security blanket, and that’s understandable. The cashmere is so huggable.

The winter styles from the Minnie Rose collection includes shawls, scarves, gloves, tops, v-neck sweaters, ruffle cardigans, dresses and even sweaters for dogs. For the wallet-conscious, Minnie rose’s cashmere makes for an elegant and effortlessly chic addition to any outfit this holiday season.

Speaking of effortless, the briefcase ladies on Deal or No Deal have help looking so gorgeous, with Key Stylist Wendi San George recommending everyone use CHI organics beauty products. There have been other celebrity stylists who have credited Farouk Systems for making their job easy with the ceramic hairstyling iron and other beauty products.

They get a lot of attention from the media, because CHI products from the Farouk Systems Group are usually at the major entertainment events. The Miss Universe organization loves them. And they were a big hit backstage at the Latin Grammys helping get all the lovely stars ready for their Grammy presentations. John Legend was among the music guys who really liked the CHI Trimmers.

Also a suggestion for the hard-to-get guys gifts, holiday shopping is a breeze for the sports enthusiasts who love ESPN. Because the ultimate sports network has introduced an array of products for sports fans, from the fun and inexpensive ESPN Jeopardy game, to an X Games MotoBike, expensive but worth it if he’s been extra nice.

“This holiday season ESPN is proud to present our most exciting gift selections, delivering to consumers the quality and innovation they have come to expect from our brand,” said Rick Alessandri, senior vice president, general manager of ESPN Consumer Products.

Striving to create products that are authentic and fun, ESPN has a wide range of items for sports fans of all ages.

ESPN and college sports fans can check out the ESPN Originals Apparel Collection of tees, polos, fleece hoodies and novelty tops found at JCPenney and The Sports Authority stores. They also carry the ESPNU Apparel Collection that allows fans to be a part of their favorite college team. A gift that’s especially great if you’re a student or an alumnus.

For the “action” sports fan there are a lot of products with the X Games brand, such as the Moto X Snow Racer; X Games Skateboards; and X Games Protective Gear. All can be found at Wal-Mart.

There’s the ESPN Sportscaster Mic, a must-have for aspiring sportscasters. The ESPN The Ultimate Remote, for all the recliner umpires out there. The X Games MotoBike is for the kid who wants to ride like X Games legend Travis Pastrana.

For the smart jocks, get ESPN Jeopardy! The game features more than 1,000 sports-themed Jeopardy answers, and players choose from dozens of interesting and challenging categories.

“Mommie Dearest” was a story about classic movie queen Joan Crawford, who turned out to be the mother-from-hell, according to her daughter Christina. Although we’ve seen some recent examples of how motherhood doesn’t mix well with wild celebrity antics, let’s put the focus on the great moms we’ve seen in Hollywood.

“Mommie Dearest” was a story about classic movie queen Joan Crawford, who turned out to be the mother-from-hell, according to her daughter Christina. Although we’ve seen some recent examples of how motherhood doesn’t mix well with wild celebrity antics, let’s put the focus on the great moms we’ve seen in Hollywood.

At the head of the list has to be Angelina Jolie, who takes care of her growing family, juggling movie projects and humanitarian efforts, and looks fabulous doing.

Also, we personally know another lovely candidate for a “great mom” award. Melissa Joan Hart, the former child star of Nickelodeon’s Clarissa Explains It All, and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, and husband-musician Mark Wilkerson, have two boys, Mason, two-years, and Brady two-months.

During a recent outing with the kids, we saw how she makes her family her top priority, and still finds time to run Hartbreak Productions with her mom Paula. Plus Melissa did two movies this year, Whispers & Lies and Satin.

New mom Tori Spelling, of one-year-old Liam, is also juggling producing duties with her husband-actor Dean McDermott for their Oxygen series Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. She’s also producing another child.

The second season premiere of the Tori & Dean reality show airs Tuesday, June 17 on the Oxygen channel, around the same time her baby girl is due. Tori said she talks to little Liam about what’s happening, “but all he understands is [mom has] a big belly to climb on. My belly button is popping out, so he like to play with it.”

Tori revealed that this pregnancy is harder because even though she was working every day on the first season of the show, “on the weekends I could sleep in and pamper myself a little. When you haveone-year-old, you can’t.”

Dean added, “There’s no more sleeping, ever again.” And with Mother’s Day coming up, Dean plans something very special for his wife, reporting, “She’s a special mom, and she’s going to have a very, very special day.”

A lot of celebrity moms in Hollywood are going to have a special day, with a mother load of gifts from Distinctive Assets, the celebrity gifting firm that puts their clients’ products in the spotlight with the stars.

Our favorite celebrity moms seamlessly move from the red carpet to the playground without loosing any of their attention-grabbing style. And while most love the limelight, just about all of the maternal gals we’ve met declare that their families come first.

Just like last year, an amazing assortment of products was put together to celebrate these famous moms. “We’ve searched for new, unusual and useful items that will hopefully make their Mother’s Day even more special,” reported Lash Fary, CEO of Distinctive Assets.

To help the new moms get gorgeous and in shape, they’ll have membership in The Sports Club/LA, and their hair styled at the luxury boutique salon Thomas Chase Hairdressing.

Making the celebrity moms look even more glamorous will be women’s beautiful designer gowns and dresses from Attitudes by Debra, complimented by child-size dresses, called Little Attitudes by Debra. They’ll make mommies and kids grab the spotlight together in Hollywood.

What’s the must-have accessory for the stars at Hollywood events? Well, an informal survey of the celebrities at Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards, had two answers coming up most often-- “My iPhone” and “My handbag.” The famous ladies looking to accent their outfits with a retro glamorous touch went for the clutch purse-- which is the latest trend in handbags. Cameron Diaz, wearing the coolest floral print dress, grasped a neon-orange clutch that grabbed attention for her overall springtime ensemble. A palm sized clutch also complimented Jennifer Love Hewitt’s sunny yellow tunic top ensemble.

]]>Fashion: Celebrities & Their AccessoriesStars Show Off The Latest Trends In Handbags

Hayden Panettiere from NBC Heroes

What’s the must-have accessory for the stars at Hollywood events? Well, an informal survey of the celebrities at Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards, had two answers coming up most often– “My iPhone” and “My handbag.”

The famous ladies looking to accent their outfits with a retro glamorous touch went for the clutch purse– which is the latest trend in handbags. Cameron Diaz, wearing the coolest floral print dress, grasped a neon-orange clutch that grabbed attention for her overall springtime ensemble. A palm sized clutch also complimented Jennifer Love Hewitt’s sunny yellow tunic top ensemble.

Carrying a clutch was in vogue by most of the stars, including Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, who went for a “trophy girl look,” wearing a golden dress, accented with a complimentary clutch purse. Heroes’ Hayden Panettiere looked lovely in a red dress, and accessorized with a silver metallic clutch.

Hannah Montana’s Emily Osment also had a red outfit, but went with a classic Yves Saint Laurent little purse with a short shoulder strap to keep her hands free to sign autographs for all her fans. “I have so much I need carry, I usually take a big tote. But today I just need my cell phone and a little lip gloss,” she revealed.

Another pretty young lady, Chelsea Tavares, who plays Cranberry on Unfabulous, had a stunning big handbag with her, “filled with everything,” she said.

Emily Osment from Hannah Montana

Chelsea, who can also be seen as Autumn in the new Just Jordan series, noted, “I’m always on the go and I never know what I’ll need, so I bring everything. And my friends count on that. Whenever they need something, they always come to me, for a bottle of water, a tissue, pens, or tape, nail polish, eyeliner, mints. Any thing you can think of, I’ll have it. I’ll just pull it out of my bag like a magician.”

Toting my own big handbag, the bright white Silverlake Flap from The Sak, at the events around town, I discovered that fans of The Sak include Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Joss Stone and the darling of the CMT awards Taylor Swift.

Clothes lines and accessories with a social conscious, and items that help the environment, are in the forefront of fashion nowadays. And I found out one of the most stylish bags for the upcoming season, a new Reyes Tote, has a wonderful story behind it.

The Reyes Batik Tote is just the beginning of what The Sak plans to do to offer more eco-friendly handbags. It is a natural progression for the brand that has been producing products in exotic Bali for almost 20 years.

The bags are handcrafted in Indonesia using recycled batik fabric. Batik is an essential part of the Indonesian culture and is used in a majority of their cultural clothing and sarongs.

Chelsea Tavares, who plays Cranberry on Unfabulous

The Reyes collection, featured in saffron, green and burnt orange in large and small sizes, is made from leftover Batak fabric. Each is hand-woven making each bag unique. Even the inside lining is special in each bag, dyed with teas creating a natural look.

The stardust and the glitter have been swept away, but the memories linger after this year’s Academy Awards. Besides a sea of red gowns seen on the red carpet, what really stood out at the Oscars was the international flavor it had. All of the four major acting awards were given to Europeans. France’s lovely Marion Cotillard won best actress for playing the singer Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, and couldn’t stop

]]>Oscar GoodiesEverybody Wins at the Oscars!

The stardust and the glitter have been swept away, but the memories linger after this year’s Academy Awards.

Besides a sea of red gowns seen on the red carpet, what really stood out at the Oscars was the international flavor it had. All of the four major acting awards were given to Europeans.

London-born Daniel Day Lewis, took home a trophy for his electrifying performance in There Will Be Blood.

British actress Tilda Swinton played opposite George Clooney in Michael Clayton and was named best supporting actress

From Spain, Javier Bardem, got best supporting actor for his killer role in No Country for Old Men.

But don’t feel bad for the performers who did not win, because Distinctive Assets has continued its tradition of sending condolences to non-winning Oscar nominees in the major categories, in the form of a bountiful Gift Basket.

The day after the awards telecast, on Monday morning, the “Everybody Wins at the Oscars” gift basket went out to George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Tommy Lee Jones and Viggo Mortensen. Also Ellen Page of Juno fame, Cate Blanchette, Julie Christie and Laura Linney. Plus the nominees in the Best Supporting Actor/Actress and Best Directing categories.

Hollywood has seen its share of ups and downs over the past few months, but it doesn’t tarnish the fact that the Academy Awards celebrate the actors and actresses who have graced the big screen and entertained audiences around the world.

“In our eyes, they are all winners,” reported a representative from Distinctive Assets. “And we are excited to present them with an abundant assortment of gifts that will hopefully lift their spirits.”

In response to the ever changing climate of Hollywood, the celebrity gifting firm opted for a tastefully understated gift basket this year. It sacrificed the previous trend towards over-the-top opulence, in favor of fun, functional and relaxation gifts to enjoy.

And since everyone is fascinated with the goodie bags that the stars get, it’s with great pleasure that we can reveal what the nominees are receiving.

The gift bag has no affiliation with the Academy Awards. It’s just a nice promotional activity that Distinctive Assets does for their clients, with hopes to make some very special Hollywood luminaries happy. Some of the actors and actresses donate or raffle off their goodies for their favorite charities. So, once again, it comes back to the theme of the gift baskets– “Everybody Wins at the Oscars!”